Tent.



C. H. STONBBRIDGB.

TENTI4 APPLIoATIon FILED JULYa. 1909.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911'.

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C. H. STONEBRIDGE.

TENT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1909. 988,400. Patented Apr. 4, 1911,

3 SHEETS-TBHEBT 2.

fy 'V B' 62?@ ATTORNEYS CHARLES H. STONEBRIDGE, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

TENT.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed July 3, 1909. Serial No. 505,795.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. STONE- BRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, and residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tents, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tents; and the object thereof is to provide an improved device of this class which may be compactly folded or packed together. into the smallest possible space for transportation or shipment purposes, and which may be quickly, easily and conveniently set up for use whenever desired and as quickly, easily and conveniently taken down and folded together or packed for transportation or shipment purposes, and which will also possess the least po-ssible weight; and with these and other object-s in view the invention consists in a tent constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved tent set up ready for use, Fig. 2 a sectional side view thereof, Fig. 3 a sectional view of the top of a tubular telescopic center pole which I employ and showing a part of the roof construction of the tent connected therewith, Fig. 4 a sectional view showing the tubular telescopic center pole of my improved tent with the parts of the pole telescoped together and reinforcing and supporting devices forming a part of the tent construction placed in the telescoped parts of the center pole, Fig. 5 a sectional plan view of the tent shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the section being through the eaves part of the tent on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 a sectional view similar to Fig. 5, but showing only a part of the eaves construction and showing the same on an enlarged scale, Fig. 7 a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, Fig. 8 a view similar t0 Fig. 6 but showing a modiication, Fig. 9 another view similar to Fig. 6 and showing another modification, but showing only a part of the construction shown in Fig. 6, Fig. l() a partial section on the line lO-lO of Fig. l, or on the line 1010 of Fig. l2, Fig. ll a View similar to Fig. l0 but showing a modification, Fig. 12 a detail view showing means for reinforcing the corners of the body portion of the canvas body of the tent and providing the same with reinforcing cords or stays and showing also a means for connectin the tent with groundA stakes for holding t 1e tent in position, and ;-Fig.r13 a side view showing a modified form of tent in which only onehalf of the regular center pole is employed, and showing the bottom body portion of the tent rolled up and part of said body portion being broken away.

In the practice of my invention I provide a tent body (t composed of canvas and comprising a bottom portion a? and roof portion a3, the connection between said bottom portion and roof portion forming the eaves a", and said tent is provided with a front vestibule 0.5, comprising side members a and a top member a7 within which are flaps as which constitute the door proper of the tent, and which may be secured in a closed position in any desired manner, and which may also be opened when desired to permit of ingress to and egress from the tent. I also employ a tubular telescopic center pole l) comprising a bottom portion b2 and top portion 7) adapted to be telescoped into the bottom portion b2. The bottom portion b2 of the center pole is provided at its lower end with a threaded cap b adapted to rest on the ground or to be secured to the ground in any desired manner, and the top part of the bottom portion b2 is reduced in size as shown at of' in Figs. 2 and 4, the reduced portion forming an inner annular shoulder b".

The top portion b of the center pole is provided with a reduced extension Z adapted to enter the reduced part b5 of the bottom portion b2 of said pole, and said top portion is also closed at its upper end as shown at bg in Fig. 4, and provided with a cap c comprising a tubular part c2 and top plate c3 as shown in Fig. 3.

The cap c of the top portion-b3 of the center pole is, in practice, secured to the roof part a3 of the canvas body portion a of the tent as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and for this purpose the plate c3 of the cap c is provided at its edges with holes c1, and strong straps c5 are passed therethrough and secured to the roof part a3 of the canvas body portion of the tent. The top plate c3 a rod o6 which is secured thereto in any desired manner and which fits in corresponding recesses c7 formed in the top of the opposite sides of the top part b3 of the center pole, and in practice I also pass through the tubular portion c2 of the cap c and through the top part 3 of the center pole a pin c3, and this construction prevents the cap c from turning on the center pole or the to-p part thereof.

The roof part L3 of the canvas body of the tent is connected with the bottom part a2 at d to form the eaves a4, and this connection is made by a folded seam such as is shown in Fig. 11. The roof part a3 of the ie'xible or canvas body of the tent is also composed of separate triangular-shaped parts Z2 which are all of the same size and the wider ends of which are at the eaves of the tent connected by seams d3 similar to the seam shown in Fig. 11, the object of the seams d and Z3 being to render the connection between the parts of the ,roof construction a3 andthe I eaves a4 strong and durable and to reinforce said parts where they are connected.

The bottom part a2 of the flexible canvas body portion of the tent is also composed of separate corner parts e and side parts 'c2 connected at e3 by seams similar to the seams d and Z3 and similar to that shown in Fig. 1l, but these seams e3 may be made as shown in Fig. 10 if desired, in which the separate parts of the bottom part a2 of the body of the tent are reinforced where connected by a strip or strips e4L secured thereto, and a cord e5 is held in place by said strip or strips and secured thereto and to the bottom of the body portion, and when the form of construction shown in Fig. 10 is employed the cords e5l may serve as stay Vcords for securing the tent to ground stakes f.

The corner parts e of the bottom portion of the body of the tent are exactly triangular inform and the wider ends thereof are at the eaves of the tent, while the side parts e2 of said bottom portion of the body part of the tent are tapered upwardly, the top edges of said parts at the eaves of the tent being exactly of the same length, and by reason of this construction the shape of the tent at the eaves is that of an octagon or eight sided figure, while the bottom of the tent` is exactly square and this gives the I greatest possible space within a tent of given dimensions and also gives to a tent constructed, as herein shown and described, the greatest possible strength when in position for use, and also facilitates the folding and packing of the separate parts as shown and described.

The ground stakes f are provided with a plurality of holes f2, and in practice rings f3 are connected therewith and the cords c5 are passed through the ring f3 and secured to rings f4 secured to the inner side of the bottom of the body portion of the tent, and preferably to the reinforcing strips e4, and by means of these cords e5, the body portion of the tent may be drawn down and made perfectly tight as will be readily understood, and the bottom edge of the body part a2 of the tent is also provided with cords f5 which are secured thereto at f6 and which may also be secured in the rings f3, and by means of this construction the bottom edge of the body part of the tent may be secured closely ad]- acent to the ground, or by releasing the cords f5 the said bottom edge may be rolled up or raised for ventilation or other purposes, and this construction is also of value when it is desired to place the tent on an inclined surface or on the side of a hill, in which event the bottom of the tent may either be raised or lowered at one side as may be desired.

The part-s e2 of the bottom part a2 of the body portion of the tent are wider and larger than the parts c and are reinforced by diagonally arranged stays, cords or similar de- -vices g which may be secured to the stakes f to reinforce the tent and hold it in case of a storm, and the top portions of the parts e are provided' with reinforcing cords g2 which are secured to the inner side thereof and which are brought out through said parts at g3, and the object or use of which will be hereinafter described.

The side portions a6 of the vestibule of the tent and the top are connected with'the body of the tent as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 5, and cords g4 are secured to the body portion of the tent where the sides a6 of the vestibule are connected therewith, and if desired the sides a6 of the vestibule may be rolled up and secured in position by the cords g4.

Extending entirely around the body portion of the tent at the eaves thereof and preferably inside of said eaves is a reinforcing and supporting ring or band 71, composed of separate rods 7b2 which are all of the same length and also interchangeable, and these rods are connected by tubular keepers h3, and said tubular keepers are preferably slightly curved, these features of construction being clearly shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, and the keepers 72,3 are secured to the body portion of the tent at the eaves thereof by bands ht or in any desired manner.

In practice, the keepers ha are secured in place and the ends of the parts or rods h2 of the ring or band are inserted thereinto as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and in this operation one of said keepers is preferably secured in place, a rod is inserted into one end thereof, another keeper is mounted on the opposite end of said rod and then secured in place and another rod inserted into said keeper, and this operation is proceeded with entirely around the eaves portion of the body of the tent until the ring or band h is completed.

Instead of making the ring or band L as shovvn in Figs. 5 and 6 and as hereinbefore described, the rods or parts it? of said ring lor band may be provided at one end with a lor similar devices fr secured to the inner side of the eaves portion of the body of the tent. Another modification of this construction is shown in Fig. 9 in which the separate parts h2 of the ring or band It are curved fand connected by short straight tubular keepers h? secured to the eave construction of the tent by flexible strips its similar to the strips It* shown in Fig. G or in any desired manner.

In practice, in the operation of packing the tent for shipment or other purposes, the separate parts h2 of the ring or band and the keepers h3 or /17 are placed in the top part b2 of the center' pole Z), and said top part of the center pole is inserted into the bottom part b2 thereof as shown in Fig. l and the lower end of the bottom part of the pole is closedby the cap b4 of said pole, and

the flexible body portion of the tent may be compactly rolled up and rolled around the telescoped center pole.

In case it is desired to make a tent particularly strong, as for instance in case of a storm or a contemplated storm, the top part b3 only of the center pole is employed as indicated in Fig. 13, the bottom edge portion of the body part of the tent is rolled up as shown at z' in said figure and the cords g2 are employed for securing the body of the tent to the stakes f, and in this operation the bottom of the side members a of the vestibule are also rolled up as shown at 2 and cords 3 secured to the side portions aG of the vestibule are employed for securing said side portions of the vestibule to the stakes f.

My invention is not limited to any of the details for making or forming the body portion a3 and z2 of the tent, but the construction herein shown and described is that which I prefer, and various changes in and modifications of the various details of the tent construction herein described may be made, Within the scope of the appended claims, Without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

The top of the vestibule at the front of the tent is supported by cross rods y' which are inserted into pockets jg at the eaves pon tion of the body of the tent, and other pockets y'3 are secured to the top of the vestibule as clearly indicated in Fig. 5, and these rods support the vestibule and in connection with the top a7 thereof prevent said vestibule from drooping at the top.

By employing the ring or band lt at the eaves of the tent as herein shown and described, I avoid the use of all braces or similar devices connected With the center pole in any Way for supporting the body of the tent including the roof e3 and bottom portion at thereof, and when the center' pole is connected with the center' of the roof construction as herein shown and described, the ring or band h. is placed in position as shown and described and the bottom of the body portion securely connected with the stakes j, the tent will be firmly supported against all possible contingency, and if at any time it is desired to do so the bottom part b2 of the center pole may be removed and the form of tent shown in Fig. 123 may be employed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a tent, a center pole and a flexible body portion consisting of a roof member and a bottom member connected to form the eaves of the tent, the said body and roof members being octagonal in form at the eavesand the bottom member being square at the bottom thereof; and the eaves portion of the tent being reinforced by a ring or band composed of separate substantlally straight parts and connecting members having sockets in their ends adapted to receive the ends of said substantially straight parts, said substantially straight parts being all of the same. length and interchangeable.

2. In a tent, a body portion composed of flexible material and comprising roof and bottom parts united to form the eaves of the tent, the roof and bottom parts being Octagonal in form at the eaves and the bottom part being rectangular in form at the bottom thereof and a reinforcing ring or band placed at the eaves of the tent.

3. A tent, comprising a. center' pole and a body composed of flexible material and comprising a roof member and a bottom member connected to form the eaves of the tent, the bottom member being composed of four side portions and four corner port-ions, the corner portions being triangular in form with the Wider ends thereof at the eaves of the tent and the end edges of the said portions being tapered inwardly and upwardly to the eaves of the tent and the top edges thereof being of the same length as the top edges of the corner portions, the roof portion of the tent being also composed of triangular pieces which are eight in number and the eaves of the tent being reinforced by a ring or band consisting of separate detachably connected parts, said parts being substantially straight and being interchangeable and the lengths thereof being the same as the Width of the separate parts of the vroof and top portio-ns of the body at the eaves of the tent.

4. In a tent, a center pole and a` ieXible body portion consisting of a roof member and a bottom member connected to form the eaves of the tent, said bottom and roof members being octagonal in form at the eaves and the bottom kmember being rectangular in form at the bottom thereof, and the eaves portion of the tent being reinforced by a ring or band composed of separate detachably connected parts.

5. In a tent, a center pole and a flexible body portion consisting of a roof member and a bottom member connected to form the eaves of the tent, said bottom and roof members being octagonal in form at. the eaves and the bottom member being rectangular in form at the bottom thereof, and the eaves portion of the tent being reinforced by a ring or band composed of separate detachably connected parts, said parts being interchangeable, and being all of the same length.

6. A tent, comprising a center pole, and a body composed of flexible material and comprising a roof member and a bottom member connected to form the eaves of the tent, the bottom member being composed of four side portions and four corner portions, the corner portions being triangular in form with the wider ends thereof at the eaves of the tent, and the end edges of the side portions being vtapered inwardly and upwardly to the eaves of the tent, and the top edges thereof being of the same length as the top edges of the corner portions, the roof portion of the tent being also composed of triangular pieces which are eight in number, and the eaves of the tent being reinforced by a ring or band consisting of separate detachably connected parts.

7. A tent, the body portion of which is composed of flexible material and consists of a roof portion and a body portion united to form the eaves of the tent, said roof and body portions being each composed of a plurality of parts and the tent being Octagonal in form at the eaves thereof and the body portion thereof being rectangular in form at the bottom thereof and a reinforcing ring or band placed at the eaves of the tent and composed of separate detachably connected parts equaling in number the parts in the roof portion of the tent.

8. A tent, comprising a center pole and a body composed of flexible material and comprising a roof member and a bottom member connected to form the eaves of the tent, the bottom member being composed of four side portions and four corner portions, the corner portions being triangular in form with the wider ends thereof at the eaves of the tent and the end edges of the side portions being tapered inwardly and upwardly to the eaves of the tent and the top edges thereof being of the same length as the top edges of the corner portions, the roof portion of the tent being also composed l of triangular pieces which are eight in number.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 2nd day of July, 1909.

CHARLES H. STONEBRIDGE.

Witnesses: Y

H. R. CANFIELD, C. E. MULREANY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .'D. C. 

